Forget passwords – several Internet companies have formed the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, which they say will replace passwords with safer and easier to use authentication methods.

The founding member organizations of the FIDO Alliance, which include Agnitio, Infineon Technologies, Lenovo, Nok Nok Labs, PayPal, and Validity, are currently developing open standards-based specification and FIDO-compliant products, such as biometrics-enabled devices to identify users through fingerprint or voice recognition.

“The FIDO Alliance is a private sector and industry-driven collaboration to combat the very real challenge of confirming every user’s identity online,” said Michael Barrett, FIDO Alliance president and PayPal Chief Information Security Officer. “By giving users choice in the way they authenticate and taking an open-based approach to standards, we can make universal online authentication a reality. We want every company, vendor, and organization that needs to verify user identity to join us in making online authentication easier and safer for users everywhere,” Barrett said.

According to the announcement, the FIDO Alliance intends to “revolutionize” online authentication by developing an open, scalable, and interoperable approach. Users currently can choose from a variety of devices with which to authenticate, including a finger sensor, a USB memory stick with password, and embedded FIDO hardware.

All interested companies and organizations are invited become active members and to contribute to the FIDO specification.